The Elusive Lemon Cake

Last weekend, my fiancé’s son, Mike, Jr., came up from Wichita with his wife, Kaitlin, so he could golf in a local Topeka tournament. It was also his birthday on Saturday, so I asked him what kind of cake he wanted for his celebration. I knew he would pick something other than the standard vanilla or chocolate considering he selected cherry cheesecake for his law school graduation celebration a few months ago.

I was right. Mike, Jr. chose a lemon cake with white frosting—and chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream to go along with it!

All of the mass-market cake mix brands have a lemon variety, but I wanted to make one from scratch. So the search was on for a recipe. How hard could it be?

Turns out, a lemon cake recipe isn’t that easy to find! Most of them are for vanilla cakes with lemon curd between the layers. Since I wanted the actual cake to be lemon flavored, I kept looking.

Leave it to Martha Stewart to have the answer. I found this recipe on her website, and it was perfect. I also liked that it is done in a French style, where each layer is soaked in lemon-flavored syrup to enhance the moistness of the cake. And the light whipped frosting was the perfect background to the sweet-tart flavors of the cake.

We all enjoyed the cake on Mike, Jr.’s birthday, and I sent the leftovers home with him. On Monday, he left me this message on Facebook, “Thanks for the birthday wishes and the awesome cake. I had another piece last night and it tasted even better than Saturday night. So good, that I had to split another piece with Kaitlin :)”

Lemon Cake

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for pans
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs plus 3 large egg yolks
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 lemon, thinly sliced and seeded
Whipped Frosting (see below)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two 8-by-2-inch cake pans, tapping out excess flour. (I used 9-inch pans and they worked well. Just lower the baking time.) In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and lemon zest.





In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar until light and fluffy. With mixer on low, beat in eggs and yolks, one at a time. Beat in 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Alternately beat in flour mixture and buttermilk beginning and ending with flour mixture; mix just until combined.

Divide batter between pans; smooth tops. Bake until cakes pull away from sides of pans, 32 to 35 minutes. (About 25 minutes for the 9-inch pans.) Let cool in pans 10 minutes. Run a knife around edges of pans and invert cakes onto a wire rack.

While cakes are baking, bring remaining 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water to a boil in a saucepan. Add lemon slices and simmer 25 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer lemon slices to a waxed-paper-lined plate. Stir remaining 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice into syrup.

Using a toothpick, poke holes in warm cakes on rack. Brush with lemon syrup. (Yes, you will use all of the syrup. Don’t worry, it does not make the cake soggy.) Let cool completely. (This is important!) Prepare frosting. Frost cooled cakes and top with candied lemon slices. (I skipped the lemon-slice decorations since there would be 26 candles on the cake!)

Whipped Lemon Frosting

3 large egg whites

3/4 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
1/3 cup water
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

In a heatproof bowl set over (not in) a saucepan of simmering water, combine egg whites, sugar, salt, and water. Cook over medium, stirring constantly, until sugar has dissolved (or mixture registers 150 degrees on an instant-read thermometer), 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat on medium-high until glossy, stiff peaks form (do not overbeat), about 3 minutes (it took mine longer than 3 minutes—just keep checking for those stiff peaks); reduce speed to low, add lemon juice, and beat just until combined. Use immediately.

Happy Birthday, Julia!

“Good results require that one take time and care. If one doesn’t use the freshest ingredients or read the whole recipe before starting, and if one rushes through the cooking, the result will be an inferior taste and texture—a gummy beef Wellington, say. But a careful approach will result in a magnificent burst of flavor, a thoroughly satisfying meal, perhaps even a life-changing experience.” –Julia Child, from My Life in France.

Anyone who truly loves food understands how a meal can be life-changing. When you take that first bite, and then close your eyes because the flavor is so exquisite you think you just might die from the pleasure.

It is that kind of pleasure Julia Child brought to the American kitchen through her landmark cookbooks and television shows. When people ask me who I admire, she is at the top of the list, second only to Mom. I not only look up to her because of her cooking and teaching skills. What I admire most about Julia is how she sought out her life’s calling and pursued her passion once she found it, and it didn’t matter that she was already 37 years old. I was just a few months away from that age when my first newspaper article was published and I was on my way to pursuing my life’s passion. I haven’t looked back since, even through the bumpy times, much like she experienced with the writing and publishing of Mastering the Art of French Cooking. (To the right is my Julia collection.)

I also admire the love Julia shared with her husband, Paul. He was her biggest supporter, always encouraging her to follow her passion. I feel so blessed that I, too, have found such a champion in my fiancé, Michael. Like Paul, he believes in my talent and encourages me to follow that passion 100-percent.

From a culinary standpoint, I have Julia to thank for every perfect roasted chicken that comes out of my oven. Her formula for the timing (45 minutes plus 7 minutes per pound) and the oven temperature (425 degrees for 15 minutes and then 350 degrees for the rest of the time) lead to a chicken that is beautifully browned and not over cooked. Of course, her instruction of rubbing the chicken with butter, and then basting every 10 minutes or so doesn’t hurt, either! (I found these directions in her book Julia's Kitchen Wisdom. The picture is from Mastering the Art of French Cooking, with my own notes in the margins.)

As you can see from this photo, I’ve also made her classic Boeuf Bourguignon. The picture also shows the notes I took during the process and my own personal changes I made, or planned to make the next time around. By the way, if you haven’t made this dish yet, it is sublime! Make it!

On the day Julia died, August 13, 2004, I roasted a chicken and I made her classic chocolate mousse for the first time.  

My favorite dish of Julia’s is perhaps one of the simplest—leek and potato soup. I’ve made it many, many times and this delicious, humble soup always fills me with a sense of comfort and love—what any good food should do.

Even the most casual Julia Child follower knows how the simple fish and butter dish of sole meuniere eaten in a restaurant on her first day in France was the beginning of Julia’s passion for food. She said of that meal at the end of My Life in France, “In all the years since that succulent meal, I have yet to lose the feelings of wonder and excitement that it inspired in me. I can still almost taste it. And thinking back on it now reminds me that the pleasures of the table, and of life, are infinite—toujours bon appetit!"

Leek and Potato Soup

From Julia’s Kitchen Wisdom by Julia Child
(The Time magazine cover hangs in my kitchen.)

For about 2 quarts, serving 6

3 cups sliced leeks, white and tender green parts

3 cups peeled and roughly chopped “baking” potatoes

6 cups water (I use chicken broth.)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup sour cream or crème fraiche, optional (I use heavy cream, which makes it a cream of leek and potato soup, according to the book.)

Bring ingredients to the boil in a 3-quart saucepan. Cover partially and simmer 20 to 30 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Correct seasoning. Serve as is, or puree in a blender or food processor, and/or top each portion with a dollop of the cream. (Or, once the vegetables are tender and the soup is pureed, add the heavy cream.)

Return of the Zucchini

They’re back!!! Yes, it’s zucchini season. When Mom came for a visit a few weeks ago, she brought me my first one of the season from my sister’s garden.

Here’s my dilemma: I love zucchini in just about any way it’s prepared—sautéed, fried, grilled or baked. However, my fiancé, Michael, does not. In fact, unless a vegetable is a tomato, corn, green bean, carrot, celery, or in a tossed salad, he doesn’t want to have anything to do with it.

My one hope was zucchini bread. He likes banana bread, so I thought this version just might work. I decided to mix up a batch of MarthaStewart’s Zucchini Spice Bread.

But before I could get started, I saw a recipe on Chow.com for a Savory Summer Squash Quick Bread, and I was intrigued. So I decided to give it a try as well.

The first step was to grate-up the zucchini. This one gave me enough shredded flesh for both recipes.

I went with the savory version first, knowing full well that Michael would probably turn his nose up at it, so I would probably have to eat it all myself. (Oh well, life is hard sometimes!) As I read through the recipe, I came across a couple of issues.

First, the recipe called for buttermilk, and I didn’t have any. So I went with the standard buttermilk substitution—1 tablespoon of white vinegar stirred into 1 cup of milk, which is allowed to sit for 5 minutes.

Next, the recipe called for crumbled feta cheese. I didn’t have that either. So I decided to substitute cheddar instead. (I like cheddar better anyway.)

So I mixed together the dry ingredients…

and the wet ingredients, and then stirred it all together, poured it into the loaf pan, and baked. The house smelled heavenly.

Next, I moved on to the sweet version. It was the same process, but in reverse.

First mix together the wet ingredients…

then sift together the dry ingredients…

and stir it all together, place into the pan, and bake.  A different kind of heavenly aroma came from the oven. It smelled like Christmas!

Both breads are delicious, though as expected, Michael didn’t care for the savory version. He did say the sweet one, “isn’t bad,” which I see has high praise for a bread with a vegetable inside.

(I do recommend enjoying the Savory Zucchini Bread warm, with a little butter on top. Actually, butter wouldn’t hurt the sweet one, either!

Enjoy!

Savory Zucchini Bread

Adapted from Chow.com recipe

1/4 cup olive oil

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup yellow cornmeal

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/4 teaspoons dried oregano

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 large eggs

3/4 cup buttermilk (or milk/vinegar substitute)

2 cups grated zucchini

2/3 cup grated cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9-by-5 inch loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Place flour, cornmeal, baking powder, oregano, salt, baking soda, and pepper in a large bowl and whisk until combined.

Place eggs, buttermilk, and olive oil in a separate bowl and whisk until smooth. Using a rubber spatula, fold in squash and cheddar until evenly combined. Pour squash mixture into flour mixture and stir until flour is just incorporated, being careful not to over-mix.

Scrape the batter into the loaf pan. Bake until bread is golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean, about 60 to 65 minutes. Place on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes, and then turn the bread out on to the rack and cool for at least another 15 minutes before serving.

Zucchini Spice Bread

From Martha Stewart’s website

1 3/4 cup grated zucchini

1 cup packed light-brown sugar

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

2/3 cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

3/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan with cooking spray, and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together sugars, oil, vanilla, and eggs.

Into a small bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and salt. Add flour mixture to egg mixture, and stir to combine well. Stir in grated zucchini.

Pour batter into prepared pan, spreading evenly. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of loaf comes out clean, 45 to 55 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes; invert onto a wire rack, then reinvert, top side up. Cool completely before slicing.

A Ploughman’s Lunch

In 1987 I made my first trip to Great Britain—and loved every minute of it!


My friend, Barbie, and I spent five weeks exploring all of the traditional sites—Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, Westminster Abbey, British Museum, the Highlands of Scotland, the Welsh Folk Museum—well, just about everything! (Here we are at the center of the famous maze at Hampton Court.)

I even saw Princess Diana, Prince Edward, and the Duke and Duchess of York (better known as Fergie.)









Perhaps my favorite places to explore were food related, from the large market in Harrods to the local food shops on the corner. When I returned to England in 1992, this time with my friend, Tee, I reacquainted myself with some of my favorite products:

Toffee Crisp

Cadbury Drinking Chocolate

Digestive Biscuits (cookies that are tastier than the name suggests)

Scottish Shortbread

Thank goodness most of these are available here in the US, either at grocery stores with good international sections, or shops like Brits in Lawrence, Kansas.

Somewhere along the way in 1987, Barbie and I made a stop at a pub for lunch. I don’t remember what town it was in, but I do remember ordering the ploughman’s lunch. I had read in numerous British guide books that this was a traditional lunch served, as you may guess, to ploughman when they took a break from their work in the fields. Turns out, it was actually created as an advertising gimmick for the country’s Milk Marketing Board in the 1960s to promote the consumption of cheese. However, there were references to the phrase in the Oxford English Dictionary in 1837, and a meal popular before World War II was called the ploughboy’s lunch, so perhaps the marketing people were just promoting a menu item that already existed in one form or another.  It’s a popular lunch order in today’s British pub.

If I remember correctly, the ploughman’s lunch I ordered was fairly traditional—a piece of cheese, a thick slice of crusty bread, pickled onions, some fresh veggies, and Branston pickle (we would call it relish.)

The traditional beverage of choice was, of course, a pint of beer or cider. I think I drank Diet Coke. Really!

Ever since then, I have often enjoyed a ploughman’s style lunch. It’s quick, simple and tasty. It is also perfect for a hot summer day since no cooking is required and it takes advantage of the season’s fresh vegetables.

I just stick to the basics—cheese (in this case both cheddar and a garlic/onion cream cheese), crusty bread (this is a slice of Italian leftover from dinner the night before, and a 9-grain loaf slice), veggies from the farmer’s market, marinated olives from the same Italian dinner, and a dill pickle wedge. You can mix it up any way you like—just pick your favorites!

Too bad I didn't have any Toffee Crisps around for dessert. Oh well...

A Well-Stocked Pantry

Yesterday was busy, busy, busy! I started at the Wednesday morning downtown farmer’s market to take photos for my Midwest Life and Cuisine blog—and of course bought tomatoes, corn and onions! Then it was off to a lunch meeting with my fellow teachers at Discovery Montessori Preschool to start planning the new school year and celebrate a co-worker’s 50th birthday. Finally it was home to work on a group of newspaper articles whose deadlines are fast approaching.

What to make for dinner on such a busy day? Going to a restaurant or ordering take-out would be a solution, but my sweetheart and I are trying to eat at home more. On the other hand, when would I have time to prepare a meal that didn’t come prepackaged in a box?

It's a time like this when a well-stocked pantry comes in handy. And by pantry, I also mean a refrigerator supplied with the basics. Then everything is readily available to make whatever your heart desires.

In my pantry, I always try to keep on hand:

• A variety of pastas
• Canned tomatoes—crushed, diced, whole, and sauce
• Rice
• Beans—both canned and dried
• Chicken and beef stock
• Olive and canola oil
• Flour
• Sugar—regular and brown
• Baking soda and powder
• yeast
• Salt, pepper, oregano, bay leafs, thyme, rosemary, Italian seasoning, and other spices
• Butter
• Meats—chicken breasts, bacon, pork chops, Italian sausage and hamburger
• Basic veggies—onion, celery, carrots, potatoes, garlic
• Cheese—parmesan, mozzarella, cheddar
• Milk

Okay, I’m sure I’ve forgotten something, but you get the idea.

Back to yesterday morning. In 10 minutes, I chopped up onion, celery and carrots and dumped it all into a Crock-Pot. Next I added frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts, a crushed clove of garlic, 2 bay leaves, a teaspoon of thyme, a little kosher salt, and 2 14.5-ounce cans of low-sodium chicken broth. On went the lid, and I left it set on low all day. When dinner time arrived, I added a little butter and a flour-and-water slurry to thicken the broth. Then I cooked up some rice (you could also use noodles), and presto—homemade chicken stew!

Sorry I don’t have a picture to show you—we ate it all!

 
What’s in your pantry? Anything I should add to mine?

Diets--Blech!

I hate diets!! 

Wait, let me backtrack for a moment. My sister, Angie, is on Weight Watchers. (I feel safe in telling you this since she posts her progress regularly on Facebook.) She is doing great! So far she is more than halfway to her goal and she looks terrific. I’m proud of her.

 This is Angie—she competes in triathlons! Crazy sister! :)

Now, back to what I said before—I hate diets! Maybe that’s because I’ve tried just about every one out there, including Weight Watchers, so many times I’ve lost count. Though I’m sure everyone who takes one look at me thinks I need to be on a diet, the whole process just doesn’t work for me.

In fact, I wrote a column about it! For an entire year, I wrote a monthly column called Let’s Get Real for the Concord Monitor newspaper in New Hampshire (when my name was Linda A. Odum.) I decided to change the way I think about dieting, and instead make lifestyle changes I could live with for the rest of my life. Those changes included eating whatever I wanted but in smaller portions, being wary of sweets (my weakness), and exercising more. And it worked! I lost about 20 pounds before I started writing the column, and then 20 more during that year. Ever since then, I’ve lost about 20 pounds more, and that was while going through a divorce and moving to Kansas. To be honest, I’m not sure exactly how much weight I’ve lost in total because at my heaviest point the scale wouldn’t register my weight—it didn’t go that high!

 Me before I lost weight—June 2006. So big it was hard for me to climb stairs and get up off the floor.

 Me last October in Venus Beach, California.

I absolutely believe by eating smaller portions and exercising, anyone can lose weight and keep it off forever. In fact, According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, approximately 50 million people go on diets each year. Of those dieters, an estimated 8 million will sign-up for a structured weight-loss program. Many will lose weight, but only about 5 percent will keep it off for the long term. Most will regain part or all of the lost weight..

Of course, even though I know what works for me, that doesn’t always mean I follow my own advice! I’m terrible about exercising in the Kansas summer heat—I hibernate as though it were winter. Yes, I could get up early and exercise before it gets hot…but that would mean I’d have to get up early!

My sweetheart, Michael, and I eat at restaurants a lot, which isn’t good for portion control since restaurants love to overload the plate. We are trying to eat at home more often. First it was to satisfy my need to cook—I love being in the kitchen preparing meals with fresh ingredients. But we also need to dine in our own home because Michael has survived three heart attacks, including the dreaded Widow Maker. Preparing our own food means I can use healthy fats in our dishes (olive and canola oils), and watch the sodium content.

My way of losing weight is slow to be sure. But it also means I am less likely to gain the weight back. And believe me, I don’t want to go back to June 2006!

This recipe for Spicy Gazpacho is a great start. It uses the fresh vegetables now showing up at the local farmer’s markets, and it is fat free without the sour cream garnish! Plus it’s a refreshing way to beat the summer heat. Now, if I can just get Michael to believe soup can be eaten cold…

Spicy gazpacho

Serves 8

1 green pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped

1 red pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped

1/2 cup chopped red onion

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 cucumber, seeded and chopped

2 cloves garlic

1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded

3 cans (14.5 ounces each) diced tomatoes

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Salt and black pepper, to taste

3 tablespoons lemon juice

Sour cream, for garnish

In a large bowl, place the green and red peppers, onion, celery, and cucumber. In a food processor, finely chop the garlic and jalapeno. Add two cans of tomatoes, cumin, salt, black pepper, and half of the chopped vegetables. Process until smooth.

Pour the processed mixture into the large bowl with the chopped vegetables. Add the remaining can of tomatoes and lemon juice. Stir, cover, and chill at least 2 hours or overnight. Serve garnished with a teaspoon of sour cream.

Explore the Midwest

In the year since I returned to life in the Midwest, I've realized what an amazing region this is--the food, history, and people. To highlight that fact, I've started a new blog!

Midwest Life and Cuisine will focus on the eateries and attractions found in the middle of the United States--an area a lot of people either fly over or drive through but often do not explore. So come along and discover with me all that the Midwest has to offer.

Don't worry, this blog will also continue--I have lots of recipes to share!

Multigrain Pancake Mix

I’m not much of a breakfast eater. My favorite way to ease into the day is with a good cup of coffee and the morning newspaper. Then, if I do get hungry, I usually just eat cereal or yogurt. However, once in a while, I crave a big breakfast—usually on the weekends. And that means pancakes!

Last Sunday, Michael and I went to the Cracker Barrel restaurant, where I ordered the multigrain pancake breakfast. I’ve always liked my pancakes to have a little umph to them in the way of whole wheat, multigrain, or buckwheat. I also like blueberries added. These pancakes were oh so yummy! So much so I was still thinking about how scrumptious they were the next day!

Lately I’ve seen a lot of cooking shows feature ways to make and store homemade pancake mix. I’m not a big fan of the boxed mixes—I always make mine from scratch. (That may explain why pancakes are relegated to my weekend cooking repertoire.) So I decided to create a homemade multigrain pancake mix that would make it easy to prepare my favorite breakfast any day of the week.

I started my research with the internet. Some of the recipes I found called for shortening to be added to the mix, making it much like Bisquick. And some didn’t require shortening at all. A few recipes called for powdered milk so the pancakes could be made with just water. Many of them recommended using buttermilk when mixing up a batch.

I used a whole-grain pancake mix recipe from the King Arthur Flour Company’s website as my jumping-off point. This recipe wanted me to add oil to the mixture instead of shortening, but I decided to skip that step.

In a large glass jar, I added both  all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour.

Next came the old-fashioned oatmeal. The original recipe wanted me to grind up the oatmeal in a food processor before adding to the mix, but I like the texture of the whole oatmeal better. Then I added the baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt.

The original recipe also wanted me to use buttermilk when I mixed up a batch of pancakes. I don’t like to buy buttermilk because I'm always throwing a larger part of it out since I never use up the entire container. Remembering the recipes calling for powdered milk in the mix, my solution was to add powdered buttermilk! That way I could make my pancakes with water every time.

Once everything was in the jar…

I shook it up to mix the ingredients.

Then I pulled out a package of blueberries…

and mixed up a batch. Don’t preheat your skillet until after everything is mixed up, since the batter is better when it’s allowed to sit and thicken up a bit.

I like to make medium- to large-sized pancakes. You know it’s time to turn them when bubbles form on top.

Then all you need is butter and some real maple syrup. (This can was given to me by a Canadian friend.)  

Oh so yummy!

Store the jar of mix in the freezer or refrigerator to keep it fresh.

Now a weekend breakfast can happen whenever the mood strikes!

Multigrain Pancake Mix

Makes approximately 10 cups of dry mix

3 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 1/2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons baking powder
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoons baking soda
1 12-ounce container buttermilk powder

In an airtight container, add all of the ingredients and mix/shake well. Store in the freezer or refrigerator.

 
To make pancakes: In a bowl, whisk together 1 cup of water, 1 egg, and 2 tablespoons oil. Add in 1 1/2 cups of the mix and stir together. Allow batter to sit while you heat a lightly greased skillet or griddle. Add a little more water to the batter if it seems too thick, and fold in the fruit of your choice if you wish. Spoon the batter onto the heated surface. When the edges look dry and bubbles form on the surface, flip the pancakes to the other side to finish cooking.

Refreshing Orange Tea

It’s another day of 100-degree weather. I never thought it was possible to get cabin fever in the summer, but who wants to go outside when it’s this hot and humid. Most of my days are spent going from our air-conditioned apartment to our air-conditioned van, with the occasional detour into an air-conditioned library, store or restaurant.

Hot weather always makes me crave iced tea. Growing up, Mom always had a pitcher made for dinner. So did both of my grandmothers—and probably my great grandmothers. Sometimes it was sweetened, and sometimes not. Sometimes it was made with instant tea, and sometimes with steeped tea bags. (Steeped and unsweetened is my favorite.) Iced tea is the refreshing drink of choice for a hot, Midwest summer.  

My sweetheart, Michael, works at night as a courier. He picks up and makes deliveries for different companies—mostly Westar Energy. Many evenings I will ride along with him on his route to the various energy centers around Topeka before he heads out to Lawrence and Kansas City, and I head to bed. Those trips are some of my favorite times with him. We talk and laugh, growing even closer to each other with every passing mile. I truly believe our relationship is so strong because of the conversations we have on his route. And our love just keeps growing stronger…

                                           (Michael calls this view the Big Valley.)

On our way to Westar’s Jeffery Energy Center in St. Mary’s, we usually stop at Haag’s Short Stop in Rossville. It is a typical convenience store with all the snacks and beverages you would expect to find.

However, the shop also sells their own iced tea made with orange slices instead of lemon. It is a refreshing drink with just a hint of orange—perfect for a hot summer day. That drink is the reason we stop in!

I decided to make the orange iced tea at home. It’s easy!

I start by making the iced tea in the same way my parents have made it ever since I can remember. First, I bring a small pan of water up to a boil, and then remove it from the heat.

Then I add 6 tea bags and let them steep for about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile I slice up one orange and place the slices into the bottom of the tea pitcher.

Then I strain the steeped tea into the pitcher on top of the orange slices.

Finally I add cold water to fill the pitcher the rest of the way. (I don’t like sweet tea, but you could add sugar or sweetener if you wish.)

 
Refreshing!